The Melrose-Mindoro football team literally ran their way to their first win of the season as they blasted Independence/Gilmanton 59-15 last Friday.

Five different Mustangs rushed for the eight running touchdowns, and a 69-yard interception return counted for the other score.

Mustang rushing accounted for 391 of the offense’s 425 yards in the game.

Cody Hurst got the scoring going for Mel-Min as he took the ball in on a 58-yard run, followed by a 30-yard rushing touchdown from Klint Woyczik.

The Indees got on the board after quarterback Brett Gamroth hooked up with Jordan Reidt on a 7-yard pass, but Mel-Min led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Nick Kunes and Hurst notched a two-TD night in the second quarter as Mel-Min continued to pound the ball on the ground and add 27 points. Kunes started with an 18-yard running touchdown, and Hurst followed with a 35-yard run of his own; Mustang quarterback Dylan Andersen completed a two-point conversion to Woyczik on the last score.

I/G’s Jared Rebarchek ran the ball in the end zone on a 58-yard rush to add some points, but Kunes followed with a 3-yard rushing touchdown of his own. Killian Woodward capped the Mustang scoring in the second with a pick that he returned for a TD.

If it wasn’t already, it was all Mel-Min after that.

The Mustang defense shut down what little remained of the Indee offense and didn’t allow them to score the rest of the game. Frank Dobbs ran in 1- and 3-yard touchdowns for Mel-Min in the third quarter while Aubrey Kovacevich added the final Mustang TD on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Hurst led the attack on the ground for Mel-Min with 114 yards on six carries. Kunes and Dobbs each had 11 touches for 80 and 68 yards, respectively, and Woyczik had 66 yards on seven carries.

Andersen completed his only pass on the night for 34 yards to Woyczik.

Gamroth completed 8 of 22 passes for 149 yards with two interceptions, and Brady Serum and Reidt each had 86 yards receiving. Rebarchek had 34 of the Indees’ 112 rushing yards on three carries.

Mel-Min (1-2 overall and 1-0 in the conference) will be at Wild Rose High School this Friday.